Safety attachment for loading apparatus



Oct. 31, 1950 J. H. PIERCE 2,527,653

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR LOADING APPARATUS Filed June 27, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l l EEE 1 WW H: 3 H i INVENTOR JOSEPH H. PIERCE (IMAM g -fl ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 31, 1950 SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR LOADING APPARATUS Joseph H. Pierce, Tulsa, Okla. Application June 27, 1949, Serial No. 101,614

5 Claims.

This invention relates to safety attachments for loading apparatus, and more particularly to a combined gate and bridge. employed to normally close an exit from a platform, and movable downwardly to provide a bridge leading from the exit to a vehicle at one side of the platform.

As a specific illustration, to aid in describing the invention I will refer to loading rack equip ment for railroad tank cars Whichusually includes a narrow elevated platform having. hand rails at opposite sides, and a suitable number of exits through which a person. walks from the platform to the tank cars.

, One of the objects of the invention is to produoe a strong and durable combined gate and bridge adapted. to occupy an approximately upright position wherein it closes an exit, and movable downwardly to form a safe bridge structure leading from the exit, thereby avoiding hazards heretofore involved in the ordinary type of simple boards generally employed to form a walk-way from such exits. A further object is to produce a combined gate and bridge including an arrangement of details providing a very high degree of strength, associated with a counterbalancin device which enables the entire structure to be easily and quickly shifted from open to closed positions and otherwise readily manipulated, regardless of the weight of the combined gate and bridge, while also providing for accurate control of the various movements with very slight eifort by an unskilled workman.

Other objects are to reduce'or avoid the danger of slippage on the tread surface of the movable bridge device; and to provide an efiicient bumper adapted to support the: outer end portion of the bridge. In using the device, the combined gate. and bridge is allowed to move downwardly about the axis of a hinge until the bumper at its outer end strikes a portion of a tank car, orv other object. The bumper may include rubber cushion elements tending to prevent: accidental slippage at the free end of the bridge, and not likely to seriously damage paint orother surface material; onto which the bridge may be lowered.

An additional object is to provide simple hand rail attachments for one or both sides of the bridge, adapted to be folded and unfolded in response to swinging movements of the combined gate and bridge.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention comprises the novel combination and arrangement of specific details shown by the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a desirable form of the invention. Howeveait is to be understood that the scope of the invention extends to variations and modifications covered by terms of the claims hereunto appended.

Fig. 1 is a diagram of a desirable condition wherein the combined gate and bridge is adjusted for a relativel large tank car, with curved arrows suggesting that the bridge may be lifted to an approximately upright position, so as to provide a closed gate. v

Fig. 2 is a top or plan. view, drawn to a larger scale, and partly in section, showing the combined gate and bridge in an approximately horizontal position.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3--3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 4-4 in Fig.3 showing a swivel connection for a foldable hand rail.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 2, some of the parts being brokenv away. I s

As an illustration of one form of the invention, I have shown aloading rack for railroad tank: cars provided with an elevated platform. 8 hav-- ing a hand railing 9 including vertical posts ill at opposite sides of an exit leadin to the tank cars.

The combined gate-and bridge comprises anelongated guide member A movable from an approximately upright position wherein it provides a closed gate for the exit, to a variety of approximately horizontal positions wherein it forms a bridge member leading from the exit, and. an extensible bridge member B slidable along said guide member to provide for selective extension of the bridge.

A very strong and durable metallic guide memher A can be conveniently formed by side beams II integrally united by anapproximately semicircular return bend l2 at their inner ends, and connected at their outer ends by means of trans verse bars l3 which. may bewelded or otherwise firmly secured to the side beams- II. The guide member A- (Figures 2 and 3) may also include a transverseconnectingbar It located near the return bend l2 and having its ends welded towelded to the surrounding frame members II, I3 and I4. The metallic tread is thus firmly united with the rigid metallic frame to produce a very strong bridge element well adapted to safely support a person walkin between the elevated platform 8 and a tank car, shown by dotted lines in Fig. l.

The side beams II are preferably V-shaped in cross section, as shown in Fig. 5, to provide strong and simple channels serving as guides for the extensible bridge member B, the latter having V-shaped side beams I6 slidable in the beams II, and end members I! and I8 connecting said side beams I6. A second expanded metal tread I9 has its side edges welded to the upper edges of the side beams I6, and its end edges likewise united with the end members I! and I8. The metallic tread I9 is adjacent to but lower than the tread I5.

The extensible bridge member B, comprising the side beams I6 and end bars I1 and I8 surrounding the tread I9, is a unitary article slidable below the tread I and between the end bars I3 (Fig. 3) of the outer guide frame, so as to provide for selective elongation of the bridge. This ber extending downwardly from the end member I1 and adapted to engage a stop bar 2| carried by the outer guide frame. The connecting bar I4 serves as a stop to limit inward movement of the extensible bridge member.

To latch the extensible bridge member in positions to which it is adjusted, I have shown a central longitudinal beam 22 (Figures 2 and 5) connecting the end bars I1 and I8, and embracing an elongated toothed bar 23. A pawl 24 is adapted to engage the teeth at the bottom of the bar 23 as shown in Figures 3 and 5, said pawl being secured to a transverse shaft 25 mounted in bearings 26 extending downwardly from the side beams I I to receive end portions of said shaft, An operating handle 21 (Figures 2 and 5) extending from one end of the shaft 25 is movable to release the pawl 24 from the toothed bar 23, said handle being provided with a spring 28 to normally retain the pawl in contact with the row of teeth.

To illustrate a desirable pivotal mounting for the combined gate and bridge, I have shown a hinge device comprising a pair of upper and lower hinge wings 29 and 30 embracing the inner end portion of the elongated guide frame A, said wings being integrally connected together as shown in Fig. 3, and pivotally connected to an approximately horizontal hinge pintle 3| in the form of a long rod located near the bottom of the exit between the posts II]. The combined gate and bridge is movable about the horizontal axis of the pintle 3I', as suggested by arrows in Fig. 1, from an approximately horizontal position wherein it forms a bridge, to an approximately upright position wherein it closes the exit between the posts It).

A swivel member 33 in the form of a bolt extends through the embracing hinge wings 23 and 30 and also through the transverse bar I4 of the interposed guide frame, so as to pivotally connect the combined gate and bridge to the hinge wings, the axis of said swivel member 33 being approximately at a right angle to the axis of the hinge pintle 3|. Otherwise stated, when the bridge occupies a horizontal position, the axis of 4 the swivel bolt 33 is vertical. A bridge of this kind may be accidentally left in contact with a tank car in a train which is moved while in contact with the outer end of the bridge. In this event, the bridge will merely turn about the axis of the swivel bolt 33, without imparting injurious stresses to the bridge, or the hinge device, or to any part of the loading rack structure.

The outer end portion of the bridge is provided with a bumper comprising yieldable members 34 which extend downwardly to form a yieldable support for the free end of the bridge. These elements 34 may be in the form of rubber cushions which will not seriously mar the paint when the bridge is dropped onto a tank car shell. They also prevent sparking at points of contact between the bridge and a tank car, and serve as friction elements tending to prevent slippage of the free end of the bridge. When the bridge is equipped with an extensible section B, the bumper device is located at the outer margin of said section.

In Figures 2 and 3 I have shown a yieldable spring device associated with the hinge elements to form a counterbalance. This spring device preferably comprises a pair of coil springs 35 surrounding the hinge pintle, each spring having an end extension 36 contacting with the embracing hinge member 2930, and another end extension 31 contacting with a stationary beam 38. The springs 35 are assembled under tension to provide a highly desirable balance for the rather heavy combined gate and bridge, allowing the entire structure to be very easily and quickly shifted from open to closed positions, and otherwise readily manipulated to accurately control the movements in locating the free end of the bridge at selected points on the tank cars.

As a convenient means for raising and lowering the combined gate and bridge on the horizontal hinge pintle 3|, I have shown a flexible connecting device which may be in the form of a chain 39 extending from an anchor 40 on one of the posts ID to an eye 4I carried by one of the side beams I I. This operating chain may also be employed to limit downward movement of the bridge. A hook 42 on one of the posts It] may be inserted into one of the links, as shown in Fig. 3, to hold the bridge in a selected position. Another hook 43 on the same post may be inserted into the eye 40 to latch the gate in its closed upright position.

As an additional factor of safety, I have shown how hand rails can be conveniently applied to one or both sides of the combined gate and bridge. For example, a foldable hand rail 44 is located above one side of the frame A when the latter is lowered to form a bridge, the inner end portion of said hand rail being adjacent to one side of the exit from the platform 8, where the rail is pivotally supported at 45. A post 46 is pivoted at 41 (Fig. 5) to one of the side beams II to support the outer end portion of the hand rail .4, while a pivot 48 connects the post to said hand rail. The post 46 and hand rail 44 are thus free to fold and unfold in response to pivotal movements of the hinged bridge.

When the hinged bridge is swiveled as shown at 33, to provide for accidental lateral displacement of the bridge, the hand rail 44 and its post 46 should be free to swing laterally. Therefore, I have shown a suitable swivel device comprising an anglemember 49 seated on a rail 9 and movable about the vertical axis of; a pivot 50, the hand rail 44 being connected to said member means of the horizontal pivot 45, as shown most clearly inFig. 4.

This'swivel device comprising the angle member49 and its pivots 45 and 50, provides for approximately universal swinging movements of the hand rail 44, allowing said hand rail to swing upwardly and downwardly about the horizontal axis of thepivot 45, assuggested by an arrow in Fig. 1, while also allowing the hand rail to swing laterally about the axis of the vertical pivot 50. 1

I claim:

I 1;. In an attachment for a loading apparatus having a platform provided withan exit, a hinge member adapted to extend from the lower portion of said exit, a pintle pivotally supporting the extended hinge member, the axis of said pintle being approximately horizontal and approximately parallel with the bottom of the exit, a combined gate and bridge extending from said hinge member, and a swivel pivotally connecting said combined gate and bridge to said hinge member, the axis of said swivel being at approximately a right angle to the axis of the hinge, said combined gate and bridge being movable about the axis of said pintle from an approximately upright position wherein it provides a closed gate, to an approximately horizontal position wherein it forms a bridge leading from said exit, and the axis of said swivel being approximatel vertical when the combined gate and bridge occupies a horizontal position, so as to provide for accidental horizontal displacement of the bridge about the axis of said swivel, and a yieldable counterbalance device cooperating with said pintle and extended hinge member to provide a counterbalance for said combined gate and bridge.

2. In an attachment for a loading apparatus having a platform provided with an exit, a combined gate and bridge comprising an elongated guide member movable to open and close said exit, said elongated guide member being movable from an approximately upright position, wherein it provides a closed gate, to an approximately horizontal position wherein it forms a bridge member leading from said exit, said elongated guide member including an elongated guide frame provided with V-shaped metallic side beams, and a return bend integrally uniting the inner ends of said side beams, a hinge device adapted to extend from the lower portion of said exit, said hinge device comprising a pair of hinge wings embracing the inner end portion of said elongated guide frame, and a pintle to which said wings are hinged, the axis of said pintle being approximately horizontal, a swivel member pivotally connecting said embracing hinge wings to the elongated guide frame, so as to permit swinging movements of said guide frame relative to said hinge wings, the axis of said swivel member being approximately vertical when said guide frame is in a horizontal position, a tread extending across said elongated guide frame and connected to the side beams thereof, an elongated extensible frame telescoped with said guide frame to provide for selective extension of the bridge, said extensible frame having approximately V-shaped metallic side beams embraced by and slidable in the V- shaped side beams of said guide frame, and a second tread extending across said extensible frame and connected to the side beams thereof, said second tread being adjacent to but lower than the first mentioned tread when the device is employed as a bridge.

6, 3 In an attachment for a loading apparatus having a platformprovided with an exit, a com bined gate and bridge comprising an elongated guide member movable to open and close said exit, said elongated guide member being movable from an approximately upright position, wherein it provides a closed gate, to an approximately horizontal position wherein it forms a bridge member leading from said exit, said elongated guide member including an elongated guide frame provided with metallic side beams, and a transverse connecting member uniting the inner ends of said side beams, a hinge device-adapted to ex.- tend from the lower portion of said exit, said hinge device comprising a pair of hinge wings embracing the innerend portion of said clon gated guide frame, and a pintle to which said wings are hinged, the axis of said pintle being approximately horizontal and located near the bottom of said exit, a swivel member extending through said embracing hinge wings and also through said transverse connecting member to permit swinging movements of said guide frame relative to said hinge wings, the axis of said swivel member approximately at a right angle to the axis of said hinge pintle, a metallic tread extending across said elongated guide frame and connected to the side beams thereofian elongated extensible frame telescoped with said guide frame to provide for selective extension of the bridge, said extensible frame having metallic side beams embraced by and slidable in the side beams of frame to form a support for the extended end of the bridge.

a. In an attachment for a loading apparatus having a platform provided with an exit, a combined gate and bridge comprising an elongated guide member movable to open and close said exit, said elongated guide member being movable from an approximately upright position, wherein it provides a closed gate, to an approximately horizontal position wherein it forms a bridge member leading from said exit, said elongated guide member including an elongated guide frame provided with V-shaped metallic side beams, and a return bend integrally uniting the inner ends of said side beams, a hinge device adapted to extend from the lower portion of said exit, said hinge device comprising a pair of hinge wings embracing the inner end portion of said elongated guide frame, and a pintle to which said wings are hinged, the axis of said pintle being approximately horizontal, a swivel member pivotally connecting said embracing hinge wing to the elongated guide frame, so as to permit swinging movements of said guide frame relative to said hinge wings, the axis of said swivel member being approximately at a right angle to the axis of said hinge pintle, an expanded metal tread extending across said elongated guide frame and connected to the side beams thereof, an elongated extensible frame telescoped with said guide frame to provide for selective extension of the bridge, said extensible frame having metallic side beams embraced by and slidable in the side beams of said guide frame, and a second expanded metal tread extending across said extensible frame and connected to the side beams thereof, said second tread being adjacent to but lower than the first mentioned tread when the device is employed as a bridge, a frictional bumper comprising rubber cushion elements extending downwardly from the outer end portion of said extensible frame to form asupport for the extended end of the bridge, and a pair of counterbalance springs coiled around said hinge pintle and contacting with said extended hinge device so as to serve as a counterbalance for the combined gate and bridge.

5. In an attachment for a loading apparatus having a platform provided with an exit, a combined gate and bridge comprising an elongated guide member movable to open and close s-aid exit, said elongated guide member being movable from an approximately upright position, wherein it provides a closed gate, to an approximately horizontal position wherein it forms a bridge member leading from said exit, a hinge member adapted to extend from the lower portion of said exit, a pintle sup-porting said hinge member, the axis of said pintle being approximately horizontal, a swivel pivotally connecting said hinge member to the elongated guide member, so as to permit swinging movements of said guide member relative to said hinge member, the axis of said swivel being approximately at a right angle to the axis of said hinge pintle, an elongated extensible bridge member telescoped with said guide member to provide for selective extension of the bridge, a foldable hand rail located above one side of said elongated guide member when the latter is extended to form a bridge member, the inner end portion of said foldable hand rail being adjacent to one side of said exit, a swivel device supporting said end portion to provide for approximately universal swinging movements of said hand rail, a post pivoted to said elongated bridge member to support the outer end of said hand rail, and a pivot connecting said post to said hand rail so as to provide for folding and unfolding of the post and hand rail in response to movements of the elongated guide member about the axis of said pintle.

JOSEPH H. PIERCE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 337,281 Patin Mar. 2, 1886 1,106,074 Bidlake Aug, 4, 1914 1.723385 Patterson Aug. 6, 1929 

